Drying frame for petticoats and skirts



Feb. 2, 1960 1.. L. sum: 2,

DRYING FRAME FOR PETTICOATS AND SKIRTS Filed April 22. 1957 United ates,Pflttifi c DRYING FRAME FOR PE'ITICOATS AND SKIRTS Lola L. Sund, Omaha,Nebr.

Application April 22, 1957, Serial No. 654,271

' 7 Claims. (Cl. 223-69) This invention relates to drying frames andmore particularly it is an object to provide a drying frame forPetticoats. I

As the purpose of a petticoat is to hold a skirt in an extendedposition, it is desirable that a petticoat be dried after laundering insuch a manner that it dries in substantially the same shape that it willbe when it is used.

It is'therefore an object to provide a petticoat drying frame which isadapted to hold the petticoat in the same shape as it is when it is wornwhereby the petticoat will tend to stand out away from the body of thewearer and rigidly secured to the ribs 24, as best seen in Figure 5.Each rib 24 is hollow on its inner side, as best seen at 26,

and is open on its inner side receiving the upper end of the respectivebrace 20 thereinto. The fitting 22'has inwardly extending nibs 30 on itsinner side andthese extend into apertures 34 in the sides of therespective braces 20, each brace 20 being also of U-shap'e similarly tothe ribs 24. The construction, shown in Figure 5 and just described, isconventional in umbrella frames. 7

The ribs 24 are pivotally secured to a stationary sleeve or mounting 40which is itself rigidly attached to the standard 14.

As best seen in Figure 3, the stationary sleeve 40 includes an upperflange 42 and a lower group of fingers 44. The ribs 24 extend upwardlyto positions between the upper flange and lower group of fingers and arepivotally attached to the sleeve 40 by means of a wire 50 which extendsaround the sleeve 40 in a manner conventional in umbrella constructions.Only a portion of the wire 50 is shown in Figure 3 for'clarity ofillustration.

also whereby undue wrinkling of the material is. prevented. Other andfurther objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scopeof the invention not being limited to the drawings as the drawings areonly for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principle ofthis invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalentprinciples may be used and structural As thus described, it will be seenthat the ribs 24 swing upwardly and downwardly in planes radiallydisposed with respect to the standard 14. vThe lower ends of the ribs'24 are free to swing.

- Along the standard 1 4 are stops 55 which are spaced 1 apart along thestandard 14 to hold the collar 16 in various positions for holding theribs 24 diiferentdistan'ces outwardly from the standard 14. Thecollar'16 is urged downwardly against the stops 55 by the weight of theribs t; and braces with a garment thereon.

changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the present invention and the purview of the appendedclaims. a

In the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of the drying frame ofthis invention shown with a petticoat held thereon;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the drying frame with a petticoat in aposition for drying thereon and with a portion of the petticoat brokenaway for clarity of illustration, and with the standard removed from asupporting base; 5 1 Figure 3 is a sectional view sho'wing a rib ofthedrying frame and portions of associated parts; A

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the base for the drying frame; a

Figure '5 is a sectional view showing a cross section through one of theribs of the frame and illustrating the pivotal connection between one ofthe braces and the associated rib; and Figure 6 is a view taken on line66 of Figure 3 with I the rib omitted and showing the opening for a ribin the lower portion of one of the handles of a spring clip'for holdingthe edge of a garment.

Referring to Figure l, the drying device of this invention includes abase 10 which is provided with an aperture 12 for receiving a shaft orstandard 14 which is normally vertically disposed.

- 'A collar 16 is slidably mounted on the standard 14, andthe collar hasmany braces 20 pivotally attached to it in such a fashion that eachbrace 20 is adapted to pivot in a plane'disposed radially with respectto the standard 14; The details of the attachment of the braces 20 tothe collar 16 are not shown for the reason that they are the same asused in an umbrella frame.

The braces 20,extend upwardly to sleeves of fittings 22 whicharethemselves rigidly attached to elongated ribs 24. The fittings 22 aredisposed about and are suitably In accordance with this invention afirst group of spring clips or holders 60 are placed at one end of eachof the ribs, as best seen at the bottom ends of the ribs in'Figures 2and 3.

The holders'60 are adapted to be attached to the lower edge of apetticoat 62 when disposed over the ribs in Fig! ures 1 and 2. Theholders or clips 60 are preferably of a spring-grip type having twogripping jaws 66 and 68 which are adapted to be urged toward a clampingposition by a spring 70. Teeth can be arranged, as seen at 72, oncertain ends of the jaws 66 and 68 for gripping the petticoat.-

The holders 60 can be urged into a releasing position byfinger-engagable portions 76 to form a clip of conventional design, asbest seen in Figure 3.

In accordance with this invention an aperture 80 is provided through oneof the portions 76 of the clip and the aperture 80 is of a size largerthan the respective rib 24 which it receives. The portion 76 of the clipwhich has the aperture 80 in it can be regarded ina sen'sere-- ferred toin claims hereinafter as an attachment member 76 for attaching each ofthe holders 6t) to a respective rib 24; 1

I The arrangement of'the aperture 80, its size, andthe size of the rib24 is such that when the holders60 are attached to a petticoat held onthe drying device and when the petticoat is stretched so as to pull onthe holder 60, then the walls of the aperture 80 become snubbed againstthe ribs whereby the attachment members'76, which are preferablyportions 76 of the clip, are prevented from sliding along the ribs 24. IThe construction is also such that when there is no tension on theholder 60 the attachment members are free to slide along the ribs 24 forease of adjustment of their position. a I i The first group of holders60 are prevented from fall I Fatent dI b. 2, 19 0 rThe apertures 80]areeach of a particular shape, as best seen in Figure 6. The upper endof'each aperture 81 is rounded and the aperture has vertical sides 82which are adapted to closely fitcertain vertical sides 9 8 of theribs 24The ribs 2 4 preferably have-rounded upper sides 99-, suchconstructionbeing conventional inumbrella frames; j i

The aperture 80 is formed with a horizontal lower surface 84 althoughthis andthe rounded top 81 may be of any suitable" shape.

It is very important that thesides 82 'of theaperture 80 fit veryclosely to the ribs 24 or that the sides 82 be: spaced from the sides98Iof the ribs '24 so as to prevent the holder or clip 60 from rotatingabout the rib for otherwise the holder 60 will tend to slide againstthebrace when a frame is held up-side-down and can come into a position soas to interfere with the closing of the umbrcllaframe. i

The ribs 20 are of openings or apertures 80 are cooperatively shapedwith respect thereto as seen in Figure 6, and also slightly larger thanthe cross-sectional shape of the ribs so as to permit a slight tiltingaction of the clips on the ribs whereby the clips grip the ribs inadjusted positions at times when the clips are attached to a garmentwhich is stretched in such a way as topull on the clips whereby thewalls of said openings bind on the respective ribs.-

The non-round shape of the ribs and complementary or at leastcooperative shape of the respective opening or aperture 80 is adapted toprevent the clips from rotating around the ribs undesirably.

Referring now to Figures 1 ands it will be seen that this inventionfurther includes a second group of holders" 100 disposed at the upperends of the ribs 24 for attachment to the upper edge of the petticoat62; The upper holds or clips 100 are preferably also of'atype which haveouter jaws 104' which clamp together under the urging of a spring, aportion of which latter can be seen at 106. a The holder or clamp 100-has handle portions 108 which are adapted to be pressed together to openthe jaws 164; One of the handle portions 108 has an aperturetherethrough, seen only at dotted lines at 110 in Figure The aperture110 is identical to the aperture 80 of the holder 60 so as to permit theholder'100 to also slide up and the respective rib when clipped to theupper edge of the petti'coat, but not to twist or rotate into a positionunderneath the" respective rib 24 as the latter action would permit theholder 100 to interfere with the respective brace 20 preventingtheproperclosing-of the frame.

The aperture or opening 80 of the holder 60 and the non-roundconstruction and the 1 facility with which it may be assembled andoperated,

' audit will also be'obviils that myrnventien issusceptibre of somechange and-modification without departing from the principles and spiritthereof, and forthis reason I, do

not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise 1 thestandard, a pair of opposed material gripping clips on each of the ribsand positioned inwardly from the ends thereof, the clips having openingstherein through which the ribs extend and the openings beingcomplementary in shape to the outer configuration of the ribs and;slightly larger than the ribs to permit a slight tilting of the clipsasthey sit-astride theribs, sleeves'mounted on the ribs, a slidingcollar positioned onthe standard, braces pivotally connected tothesliding collar and also pivotally connectedto' the sleeves on theribs, and latchingmeans' on the standard for retaining the slidingcollar in operative positions for'retaining the ribsinextendedpositions; 2. In a' garment drying rack, the combination whichcomprises anelongated shaft, a stationary member on the upper end of.the'shaft; ribs pivotally mounted in thesta tionary member, sleevesmounted onthe'ribs, a sliding collar positioned on the shaft,braces'pivotally connected at one of the ends thereof to the slidingcollar and'po'si tioned with. opposite ends thereof pivotally connectedto the sleeves'o'n the ribs, means for releasably maintaining saidcollar'in adesired' position on'said shaft'such that said ribs aremaintained in positions inclining outwardly from said shaft 21' pair ofclips slidably mounted on each ofthe ribsptheclipseach having a pair :ofOp'-' posed jaws; the jaws of each clipof a ribbeing disposed oppositeand facing the jaws of the other clipof the r same ribrespectively,said;clips having means thereon provided with openings therethrough'through which the ribs extend, the walls of said" openings beingcooperative in shape to the outer configuration of the ribs and being,down the rib .when desired, tdbecome snubbed against,

aperture or opening of the holder 100 are corn H plementary in shape tothe outer configuration of the ribs andslightly larger than the ribs topermit a slight tilting be held for drying in the shape in which hisworn by pushing upwardly on the collar 16, permitting the .collar 16 toassume a suitable position, above a selected one'of the stopsSS. V

The petticoat can then be left to dry with its standard 14 supported onthe base 10or else with its standard 14 held to a clothesline wire orthe like by a convenient clip attached to the upper end of the standard14.

7 As thus described it'will be seenthat this invention fulfills theobjectives hereinabove set' forth.

. From the: foregoing description, it is thought to .be obvious that adrying frame for etticoats and skirts constructed in accordance with myinventionis particularly well adapted for use, by reason of" theconvenience and slightly larger than the ribs, and said means havingsaidopenings therethr'ough; being so disposed with respect to said jawsthata pulling onsaidjaws causes a tilting of 1 saidfmeans withrespect'to said ribs'respectively whereby the walls of said openingsgrip-the ribs forholding said clips in. adjusted positions so long asthere is a pulling. ,on the jawsofsaid clips so that a garment grippedin opposed clipsand' stretched so as to tension said clips will causesaid elips to grip said ribs.

3; In. a garment drying rack, the .combination which comprises anelongated shaft, a stationary member on the upper end of theshaft, ribspivotally mounted inthe stationary member, a sliding collar positionedon the shaft, braces pivotally connected at one of the ends thereof tothe sliding collar and positioned with oppositeends thereof pivotallyconnected to the ribs at a substantial. distance from each end thereof,means forreleasably, maintaining said collar in adesired. position onsaid shaft such that said ribs are maintained inpositions includingoutwardly from said shaft, a pair of clips having openings therethroughslidably mounted on. each of the ribs with each rib disposedthroughveach respective clip opening, each of said clips having a pairof-opposed jaws, meansuof urging the jaws 'of'each clip toward eachother for gripping a garment, the jaws of eachclip of a pair being disposed facing one another respectively, means attaching one clip. of eachpair of said clips at one end of each rib,

means'adjustably'attaching. the other eclip of each pair of said' clipstothe otherend of eachrib to. said ribs in 1 a manner wherebythey can beplaced in selective posi- 1 tionsfor putting tensi'oii ona garmentdisposedjbetween P Fl a e er v ti holding thegarment in stretchedposition during drying, the walls of said openings being cooperative inshape to the outer configuration of the ribs and slightly larger thanthe ribs to permit a slight tilting action of the clips on the ribswhereby the clips grip the ribs in adjusted positrons.

4. A combination of claim 3 further including the provision of means onthe lower end of the ribs for preventing accidental separation of theclips from the ribs.

5. The combination of claim 3 further including a 10 base having anopening therein, the opening of the base being formed to receive an endof said shaft whereby the base supports the shaft in an uprightposition.

6. The combination of claim 3 which includes a spring hook attached tothe end of said shaft for facilitating 15 the suspension of said shaft.

6 7. The combination defined in claim 3 in which said ribs are ofnon-round shape in cross section and in which the wall of said openingsis cooperatively shaped with respect to said ribs so as to prevent saidclips from undesirably rotating around said ribs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 76,263Stanley Mar. 31, 1868 1,378,354 Johnson May 17, 1921 2,460,732 Brenneret a1. Feb. 1, 1949 2,616,571 Grifiin Nov. 4, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS265,495 Great Britain Feb. 10, 1927

